Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-12-12
THRIFTY MASHINGTONIANS.

The Yolo "Mail" Charges Ofhcial Cor.
rnpion-A Kick Against Washington.
| The Yolo Mail on Saturday devotes two
columns to assaiiing the local Courts Of
the town of Washington. Its headlines In
large type run as follows: 'Official Cor
ruption Washington's Constable and
Justices. Harms Fraudulent Bills Pass
Supervisors. Vags Arraigned in Both
Courts the Same Day. Are Bright and
Whitman Knaves or Only Fools? What
Does Supervisor Tim Snyder Know About
1t? The District Attorney Called Upon to
Investigate the Case" The HAL then pro-
ceeds by saying:
Some months ago the MdH made a
vigorous protest against the practice which
Washington Constables had acquired of
running in all Sacramento's buns and
tramps that strayed across the river, upon
frivolous charges, and bringing them to
Woodland. This was immensely protita-
bic business to the Constables, for besides
getting 81 60 for conviction Of each vag, he
got mileage fees and for his half day 8
work for herding the vermin into the
County Jail, he often got in a bill against
the county of $40 or $50. Whatever effect
the denunciations of the MaI in the matter
might have had may be judged from the
fact that for month or so thereafter, the
claims from the Criminal Courts of Wash
ington fell largely off. The Supervisors in
order to cut oil the mileage costs OF the en-
terprising Constables of that township, or
dered calaboose to be built for the exclu-
sive use, benefit and enjoyment of tie
Washington officials and their coadjutors
the Sacramento tramps. This, it was sup
posed. would circumvent the netarious
robbery. But it seems to have broken out
in an aggravated form, and the Police Court
OF Washington tlourishes beyond all prece-
dent. The officials of that township are
running in claims at the rate of $1,000 a
year upon the county treasury. Deputy
Clerk Pendegast, Clerk of the Supervisors,
says that the township bills of Washington
largely exceed the bills of all other town
ships in the county, including Woodland.
According to the Mails way OF thinking,
this thing has gone far enough. Washing
ton is nothing but the ragged edge of Sac
ramento. 1t belongs, commercially, morally,
socially and spiritually, to that city, and
the taxpayers of Yolo county will not pay
this unjust tax. Like a big bounty on
coyote scalps, which encourages the abuse
OF the law and the raising of coyotes, so
the premium on vags in Washington rem
ders them of exceeding value 10 the Wash
ington Constable and Justice, and though
they would appear to be fearfully Jealous
in discharging their duties, judging from
the size of their bills, it is far from their
intention to exterminate the pests"
The WdI then proceeds to give the item
lied bills of the Justices and Constables for
the month of November: Justice Witham,
SS4; Justice Bright, $108; Constable Harms,
$40 40; Constable Fromalt, $15, making a
total of S347 40. The Nail then proceeds to
dig niger liom under the edge by show
ing the similarity of the names and the
frequency of the trials of persons of the
same name, and adds:
The names of Murray, Murphy,
Mathews and Kelly are repeated two or
three times apiece. John Wilson is con-
yicted on November 10Th, and again on
November 18th, in Bright's Court. Upon
the same day-the 1Sth-he is convicted in
Williams Court, and again by the same
magistrate is found guilty few days later.
James Williams, who is up on the 10th be-
fore Bright, appears before him again on
the 18th, and on the very same day his
name becomes John and Witham takes
a rap at him. Upon the 18th Witham con-
victs Frank Mccarthy, and on the same
day Witham finds Charles Mccarthy
guilty es charged. Witham sits in judg-
ment upon James Murphy on the 18th, and
Bright performs the same public-spirited
duty on the 10Th in the case of John
Murphy Tom Kelly gets into one Court
on the 10th, and two days later is stood up
in the other. 1t is Ed. johnson in one
Court on the 18th, and William, on the
10th in the other. On the 10Th we find him
in the first Court again as Frank, and two
days later, in the same Court, he hobs up
as Jim Johnson. So it goes through the
list.
There is something immensely rotten
in Denmark. gentlemen, and Supervisor
Tom Snyder, who we understand, is in
the habit of cashing the warrants of these
Washington officials, has very defective
olfactory organ if he hasn't long before
this been smelling the unpleasant odor
The entire Board is guilty of gross careless
ness in running such claims through with
out an inspection.
There is every reason to believe from
the evidence before us, that Harms is in
the habit of making double fees by ar
his prisoners in both Courts be-
fore turning them loose. He appears to
keep q gang of vags always handy, to
draw from at pleasure. He is never want
ing for scalps.' When he can't do better
he goes out and picks up some old ones,
upon which he has got his bounty half
dozen times before.
at appears that the building of jug >
at Washington has proven a great conve-
nience to these enterprising officials as
they can put each individual vag to the
most account by turning him loose and
juggling him as often us suits their fancy.
A question arises, what divvy do the
buns get out of this bOodle?"